The Diamond Dedication
by Bella Duveen79
Summary: Sheldon is stumped as to what to get Amy for her birthday, until Howard comes up with a surprising suggestion. Could a weekend in San Diego together be the present she's been dreaming of? And what does Neil Diamond have to do with it?


**The Diamond Dedication**

**Chapter 1**

"So, in the end I thought rhinestones could be a bit tacky, and went for the diamantes instead," finished Raj, proudly describing the new collar he had bought for Cinnamon's birthday a few days ago.

"You wanna shot of testosterone in that Diet Coke?" Howard replied, staring in something like disbelief.

"What? You can all spoil your girlfriends – I can't, so I treat my little princess!"

"Ever stopped to consider calling your dog your 'little princess' may have something to do with that?" Leonard asked then, reaching for the salt.

"OK, that topic of conversation was boring," Sheldon said then, abruptly interrupting them. "I need your advice regarding Amy's birthday present. I can't think of anything and Alex is on vacation so I can't send her to get anything either. What do you think?"

"Champagne, flowers and rose petals," Raj replied promptly, only to be rewarded by Sheldon's most withering look.

"Why on Earth would Amy want rose petals?"

"To scatter along the floor, leading her to bed…"

"No." That wasn't happening. Not in this universe, or any other.

"Why not? Ten bucks says it'll work…" said Howard, altogether too suggestively.

Sheldon glared at the smaller man with contempt. How dare he presume to know what would 'work' with _his_ girlfriend? As if his Amy would fall for such a cliché. Leonard noticed Sheldon's glare across the table and shot a warning glance to Howard, saying he'd gone too far. He knew probably better than any of them that Sheldon was far more sensitive than he would admit, especially when it came to Amy. Howard widened his eyes and raised his shoulders as if to say "What?" but said no more on the subject.

"Has anyone got any sensible suggestions?" Sheldon asked again.

"How about a 'Little House' box set?" said Leonard.

"No, unfortunately she already has one of those," Sheldon replied. He'd actually watched some more of it with Amy recently, not trying to ruin it this time, and it had been surprisingly enjoyable to share something special to her. As a series it couldn't touch Star Trek or Firefly, but it had been very nice to see her eyes light up when he'd suggested they try watching it again, and how she'd smiled when she told him the various stories behind the characters. They discussed her present a bit longer, and lunch was nearly over when Howard said:

"I know what Amy'll like."

"I highly doubt it, but go on," replied Sheldon.

Howard took out his phone and looked something up. He then passed it over to Sheldon, who took it with some trepidation. Other peoples' phones were notorious breeding grounds for bacteria, and with Howard's phone, you never knew what his search history might reveal…Nevertheless, he took it, and looked down at the screen.

"A Neil Diamond concert?"

"Yeah, I'm a fan, she's a fan…we ended up singing Neil Diamond at karaoke together after the Scavenger Hunt, remember?"

Sheldon did remember. Once he'd realised he hadn't really won, he wasn't happy about it and suddenly really wanted Amy back. He wasn't sure (or didn't want to admit, if he was honest) why exactly, but in that moment he'd remembered the hug she'd given him when Kripke's work was better than his, and the disappointment of not winning seemed to warrant that. When she still hadn't come back half an hour later he'd sent Bernadette out to find them, and had been in a sulky mood for a couple of days afterwards, even though he knew he didn't really have reason to be. As if she'd let anything happen with a man who didn't even have a PhD – but it still wasn't nice to think of her with someone else…

"Anyway, he's playing in San Diego next week, so I was thinking, you could take her…or I could…"

The flash of jealously in Sheldon's eyes was unmistakeable, and it took an impressive amount of Kohlinar honed self-control on his part to sit back down as he glared at Howard for daring to make such a suggestion.

"Amy Farrah Folwer is _my_ girlfriend," he stated coldly, "and if she wants to go this event, I will be the one to take her." With that, he picked up his tray and left, leaving the group in shock for a moment.

"I thought that would work," Howard said then, with a grin.

"Oh…" Leonard replied, realising what he'd done. "Well, he'd never go to a concert himself…"

"Right!" agreed Howard. Raj gave him a high five and the group left to get back to work.

**Chapter 2**

Later that evening, Amy came round to 4A, and was currently sitting on the couch with Sheldon, helping him plan their next 'Fun With Flags' podcast.

"How about we present our own State flags?" she suggested then. "California and Texas both have fascinating stories and they come out in the flags!"

Sheldon smiled at her enthusiasm, one of the rare, bright, genuine smiles that weren't often seen. She liked to think she saw most of them. Actually, he did seem to be in a particularly good mood this evening. Whatever it was, she liked it.

"That's a great idea, Amy!" She blushed at his praise, and despite himself, Sheldon felt a blush rise in response. "Everyone's interested in how we won Texas from Mexico," he continued, slightly too quickly, "and I know you can find out some interesting factoids about yours too."

"Yeah, I'm sure you know about the whole 'Californian Republic' thing, but our viewers might not…"

"Amy," he asked then, "would you like to present your flag, and I'll do mine?"

"Oh Sheldon," she said, blushing again in surprise. She smiled, her eyes shining. She'd only been behind the camera or on with him before – she'd never been offered the chance to present on her own. "That would be great, thank you."

He smiled back, and caught her eye. She felt her heart start to race and her breath catch every time he did this and she was sure he knew it. His gaze was only broken when Leonard suddenly blundered in to pick up the PS4, for which Sheldon was both relieved and annoyed.

"Oh, er, sorry guys! Just gonna play a little 'Call of Duty'"

"Well, I don't know what you've got to apologise for," Sheldon replied haughtily. "We were merely discussing the next episode of 'Fun With Flags'."

"Oh…OK," said Leonard, but the slight grin on his face showed he knew more than he was letting on. "I'll just leave you to it then."

"You do that. Now, Amy, about your birthday next week. Any thoughts?"

Amy took a quick sip of her tea and turned to face him excitedly. "It's so nice being able to do something special for a change – my birthdays were always pretty quiet. There was usually only me, my mother and Auntie Flora…"

"With my family, that would have been a blessing. Sheldon replied. "We had a system, one year we would do what I wanted, but the next year we'd have to do what Missy wanted."

"That seems fair..."

"Amy. One year, when we were 15, I had to go ice skating. Can you imagine the hell that was ice skating with a crowd of giggling, shrieking teenage girls? And one of them, Tania McGuire, kept crashing into me on purpose and trying to kiss me!"

Amy smiled slightly. "I understand your aversion to giggling, shrieking teenage girls, but a boy chasing me at a party? That would have been my dream..."

That look again. He couldn't take his eyes off her for what seemed like a couple of minutes. She wondered what he was thinking, but probably wouldn't have believed it if she knew. The only thought that came to Sheldon then was amazement that no-one would have noticed teenage Amy – he would have. He always did. He'd noticed her skirt pulled snugly over her hips and rear earlier, when she'd reached up for her mug and a button on her blouse that was slightly tighter than the others when she sat down. There was something he needed to remember though; something he was going to say…why was it hard to remember?

"Sheldon?" she asked then, breaking into his thoughts. Under his gaze, under her cardigan and blouse, she felt hot, and more than a little shy. She'd fallen completely, and it was useless to deny it. And now they were going to do something special for her birthday together? Was this her teenage dream come true?.

"Oh, yeah," he managed. "What would you like to do for your birthday?"

"Well…" It would take a moment for coherent thought to come back to her. "There's…the zoo, or the Natural History museum, or the aquarium…?"

"Oh we're not doing any of that," Sheldon replied somewhat arrogantly, sounding far more like his usual self.

"Why did you ask me then?" Amy was confused. She wasn't going to a model train convention or something, was she?

"Because I've got a better idea. We can do all that stuff any time."

Oh God – it was the model train convention…But then, Sheldon pulled out his IPad, and looked something up, before handing it over to her. Suddenly, two things happened at once. Penny walked in, saying Leonard had promised her a 'Call of Duty' rematch, and Amy screamed and threw her arms round Sheldon.

"Is Leonard…What the hell?!"

"Oh Sheldon! Concert tickets for Neil Diamond! Thank you so much!" He felt somewhat suffocated by Amy's massive hug, but like the day he'd given her the tiara, it wasn't all bad…He would be no doubt be somewhat troubled by that thought later, but for now it was…OK…

"Bestie!" Amy had noticed Penny. "Sheldon just gave me the best birthday present!"

"OK, OK, slow down Ames," Penny said, bemused. "What did you get?" It wasn't an engagement ring, was it?

"Penny, is that you?" Leonard asked then, emerging from his room. "What's going on?"

"I'm going to see Neil Diamond in San Diego!" Amy was bubbling with excitement. Sheldon caught himself gazing at her again, not even caring if anyone noticed. She was radiant, and beautiful, and his…and…No – stop there Cooper!

"That's great sweetie, my Mom's got some Neil Diamond," Penny replied, smiling at how happy her friend looked.

"Yeah, good choice Sheldon," said Leonard, remembering how Howard had said it would work.

"It was, wasn't it? All my ideas are brilliant, you should know that!" In her excitement, Amy hadn't even noticed the screen shot of the second email confirmation – for their hotel in San Diego…well, they'd come to that. Preferably when they were there, when he couldn't change his mind…

**Chapter 3**

The following week passed with both Amy and Sheldon getting progressively more excited, and a little nervous, as her birthday approached. At no point did he acknowledge Howard's advice in buying the tickets, but was bouncy and jittery enough to wear the other guys out. Sheldon was nervous for a couple of reasons. Firstly, he was going to be in a hot, crowded environment with numbers of people well over his trample limit, which was nerve-wracking enough, but, and more importantly, this was to be the first time he'd ever stayed anywhere with Amy on his own. This wasn't going to be anything like the Big Sur Symposium, when they'd all gone. This was different, and sending him into the sort of daydreams he was embarrassed to admit. He tried to look at it logically - it was too far to drive there and back in one day, and it would be late when the concert finished anyway, so in order to get a good night's sleep and allow Amy to be sufficiently rested to drive home safely they needed to stay in San Diego. It was a hotel he knew from ComiCon – he'd stayed there with the guys last year and its standards of service and cleanliness were acceptable…and he had to use a voucher that had been sent to him as part of the University's salary bonus package before it expired…and take the last room available. It wasn't his fault that they only had one room left…"You didn't look anywhere else though, did you?" came a voice that he didn't much like to hear. "And you tell yourself it makes sense to use the voucher, but you really want your girlfriend staying with you, don't you?" He wasn't going to tell anyone that, and hoped they wouldn't notice. It was bad enough getting this excited about it without having to endure smutty comments all week. "Like your imagination isn't getting smutty enough…"

"Shut up!" He really had to find something else to think about this week…

Amy still didn't know anything about the hotel arrangements other than the driving directions, but she was excited enough as it was. That Wednesday, she called Penny and Bernadette and asked them to come shopping with her for something to wear to the concert, and they saw how happy she was to be spending her first weekend away with her boyfriend.

"So…" asked Penny, unsure exactly how to put the question, "are you guys sharing a room this weekend?" There. She'd go for the direct approach.

"I don't know, but I'm not getting my hopes up. It'll be good enough to just be with Sheldon all weekend!"

And you don't hear that said very often, Penny thought, but said "Well, either way I think we need to get you a kick ass dress, just in case!"

"And maybe later we can swing by 'Victoria's Secret'," Bernadette suggested with a smile. "I bought Howie a little something there the other day…maybe you could try it?"

Amy smiled a little sadly in reply. "He'll never notice…"

"Then we really need a great dress to get him thinking what's underneath!" laughed Penny, dragging her into the store.

"It's too short," said Amy, looking at herself doubtfully at the dress the two blondes had chosen.

"Maybe a little, but you look great in it!" Bernadette replied, reassuring her friend. "And you can always get some boots to go with it."

"Oh yeah! We have to find boots!" Penny agreed enthusiastically, and they headed off to the shoe department, leaving Amy looking back at her reflection. The dress was a nice colour, a deep emerald green to match her eyes, with lace over the sheer material and covering her shoulders, and it hugged her figure comfortably over her dainty bust and curvy hips. Now she came to think of it, it wasn't as short as her Star Trek medical officer's dress, and she'd been happy enough to wear that. More than happy, actually – she had the distinct impression it was having the desired effect on Sheldon, as his eyes had widened and taken in every inch of her appearance. She was sure she hadn't imagined his gaze lingering on her legs, waist and bust, and wondered if this dress would provoke a similar reaction. There was even a small slit at the hem on one side, showing just a sliver of her thigh – just enough for her to be comfortable. And the girls had gone to find her boots…she had the feeling he'd liked the boots with her uniform too.

"Hey Amy!" Bernadette called then, "What do you think of these?"

"Oh, you have to get these…and get me out of a shoe store before I buy anything!" Penny said, handing her a pair of shiny black knee high boots.

"Thanks Bestie!" Amy replied, taking them eagerly and zipping them up. They had a slight heel, but not too high to walk in, and gave sharp definition to her calves. They made her stand straighter, and she looked back at herself, and then at her friends, with pride.

"Wow, Amy, you look great!" Penny and Bernadette were glowing in their appreciation of her new outfit, and Amy wished she'd brought the little video camera she'd used to capture Bernadette's wedding dress shopping expedition to record this moment.

"You have to get them!" said Bernadette, and Amy couldn't resist. It was her birthday, after all.

"So what do you think about a little something to wear under it?" Penny asked as they left the store. "I'm getting something – if you're going to be away all weekend…" She smiled as she thought of her own plans for her and Leonard.

Amy blushed. "You really think it's worth it?"

"Sure – nice underwear is always worth it!" With that, the girls made for 'Victoria's Secret,' and it wasn't long before the two blondes had picked out something nice for their men. Amy however, was still uncertain, even with a new dress.

"Ooh, look at this!" Penny had found a lacy black corset with green stitching, almost like Amy's dress. "This is gorgeous – you need to try it!"

"A corset? Weren't they worn by Victorian women who ended up having their reproductive organs squashed to the extent they became infertile?"

"Well, yeah, I guess, but they weren't made like this!" Penny replied.

"No, corsets now are nothing like that…and if you're wearing one, you tend not to keep it on that long…." Bernadette added, with a smile.

Amy let Bernadette's suggestion sink in, and slowly picked one off the rail, turning it over in her hands. It was pretty, and she'd never seen herself in such seductive underwear…

"Oh, OK, what the hell! But I may need some help," she said, nodding at Penny. Penny nodded in reply and slight resignation, knowing it would be her. Well, if it worked…

Fortunately, the experience of lacing Amy into a corset was nothing like the trauma Sheldon had gone through squashing Mrs Wolowitz into her dress, and when Penny had finished her figure looked truly amazing.

"Wow Amy!" said Bernadette, who'd joined them to offer assistance. "You look hot!"

And she did. Every curve of her body was accentuated and held comfortably, but not too tight, and the underwear gave a great shape to her new dress. She'd never looked so beautiful.

"Sweetie, if he can resist that…he really is a robot," stated Penny, wishing in that moment that her own hips weren't as straight.

That night, and for the rest of the week, Amy kept her outfit and corset out, and felt her imagination working overtime when she thought of wearing them. This could be the best birthday she'd ever had…

**Chapter 4**

The following evening, Amy returned to the guys' apartment to film "Fun With Flags". The whiteboard with the podcast title had been pulled out and set up behind the couch with the camera facing it. Amy watched on the screen as her boyfriend introduced the show and announced that the episode would feature two State flags that week, then introduced her, "…and I'm joined this week by Dr Amy Farrah Fowler, who will present the California State flag." She was so proud of him when he was doing and discussing something he loved, and he sounded pretty proud to show her off to their (albeit small) audience too.

She felt a familiar rush of excitement at him using her formal title, and smiled as she filmed the story of the Texan State flag. They were only interrupted once, when Leonard left to go to dinner with Penny – they'd learnt not to barge in on Sheldon's podcasts by now – it really wasn't worth the ensuing lecture, and had wisely decided to go out that evening. When it came to Amy's turn to present, the apartment was quiet and they were on their own.

"OK…and cut!" she called as he finished. "That was great Sheldon!" She hadn't actually heard much of his report, and hoped she wouldn't be asked questions later, as her mind had wandered completely back to wearing her sexy dress and corset that weekend, and what his possible reaction might be. Filming was a great chance for her to gaze at him and not scare him off too, which was the main reason she'd volunteered to do it in the first place.

"Thank you Amy," he replied with a smile. "Now I'll film you – got your flag?" He got up rather eagerly to take her place behind the camera and watched as she sat down with a laminated copy of the Californian flag, with a large brown bear and the legend 'Californian Republic' underneath it.

"OK…and action!" Sheldon started filming his pretty, intelligent girlfriend, and bit his lip slightly as she smiled back at the camera and introduced herself. The light was shining on her hair and her skirt was riding up a little on one side, and she was talking about flags! What could make a better evening?

"Well…" the same voice he was trying to ignore said, "…there are a few other things…" In spite of his great interest in the subject matter, Sheldon didn't take much of it in either. Making a video of Amy was far more exciting, and he simply couldn't take his eyes off her. She'd have to present far more often…

She finished all too soon, and caught Sheldon off guard when she stopped. "Sheldon? I'm done," she said, looking up at him to see if he'd stopped filming.

"Oh…and cut!" he called, remembering himself.

**Chapter 5**

The following evening Amy spent with the girls after they'd eaten and left the boys to Vintage Video Games Night, but she had received a detailed PDF that day from Sheldon concerning their travel plans, a link to the hotel and concert venue sites, and suggested timings. She was so excited about the weekend she knew that even after a few glasses of wine that night she would have no problem presenting herself at the apartment at 0800 hours the next morning, and rather liked it when he took on his 'Major Cooper' paintball persona. They both had some rather personal questioning from their friends to endure first though.

"So…big weekend for you guys, right?" Howard asked, video controller in hand.

"Yes, I think it will be a memorable birthday for Amy," Sheldon replied, not quite looking him in the eye.

"You know the girls went shopping in the week…Bernie bought a nice little number…reckon all the girls got something special…"

"They did?" Leonard was quicker on the uptake, and instantly interested.

"Oh yeah! Could be a good one for both of you…"

"Yeah, just rub it in, dude! Everyone else is getting some this weekend except me!" Raj added sulkily.

"Rajesh, when you say 'everyone else' are you meaning me too? And what exactly?" Sheldon asked, walking into it.

"You know – you're the one going away for a romantic weekend with your girlfriend while I'll just stay home and watch old movies!"

"I'd hardly call enduring an evening in a hot, crowded auditorium listening to music of questionable quality romantic," Sheldon replied, trying now to deflect the true purpose of their conversation.

"Hey, in the first place, don't diss Neil Diamond!" Howard said, blasting at an alien monstrosity, circa 1988. "And we weren't meaning the concert…"

Leonard looked at his friend for a moment. "Seriously, Sheldon, is there anything you need to ask…or do…before you go?"

"No, I don't think so. I sent Amy a detailed schedule today and she keeps her car in perfect working order, unlike Penny, so what else is there?"

"Did you order the flowers and champagne?" Raj asked. "If you say it's her birthday you might even get a complimentary box of chocolates, like we got in Switzerland, right Leonard?"

"I thought we agreed never to speak of that weekend again," Leonard replied, as he was blown up by a Commodore 64 version of a Death Star. "The look that receptionist gave us when we checked in was far too understanding..."

"That has nothing to do with this weekend!" persisted Howard. "You guys are getting nasty in San Diego, aren't you?"

"Why is everyone so interested in what we may or may not do there?" Sheldon was getting exasperated now. Why couldn't they just play the game and forget about it?

"Sheldon, we're just – concerned…" said Leonard, shooting a glare at Howard. "…and hope it'll be…good for you…"

"Yes, I'm sure it will. Now let's play 'Zork' and please concentrate on the game – I don't want to be eaten by a Gru within the first five minutes!" he finished, snapping the cartridge out of the console.

Penny and Bernadette had been somewhat gentler in their conversation with Amy regarding the weekend ahead, even if it had got somewhat naughtier with the more wine they'd drunk. Still, the evening ended with Penny enveloping Amy in a hug and promising to hunt Sheldon down if he said anything to spoil this weekend for her, and that she hoped it would be all Amy dreamed of…and then she'd left with Bernadette, who said much the same thing, but with the addition of a threat to put weapons grade smallpox in his tea if things weren't as expected. Amy smiled, and replied she was sure that wouldn't be necessary, and tried to ignore the obvious wink Howard gave her as she met her husband across the hall. Tomorrow would be her birthday, and she couldn't wait!

**Chapter 6**

Amy arrived at the apartment at precisely 0800, as stipulated in the itinerary. It was one of the things Sheldon loved about her – she was as punctual with timings as he was, and jumped up to let her in.

"Happy birthday Amy!" he said, with a bright smile, and then turned away quickly to pick up her birthday card before he started worrying about whether or not he should kiss her. Amy was somewhat disappointed not to get a birthday kiss, but it wasn't unexpected. Anyway, they had all weekend, and maybe being away together might change his mind…

"Thank you, Sheldon," she replied, opening the card. It showed a picture of two cuddling koalas, and appeared to have been bought on one of their zoo visits. In it was written:

"Amy – I trust you will have a memorable birthday, and I am very pleased to be spending it with you. Sheldon."

Underneath this brief, yet heartfelt, message, was something strange though, written in an unfamiliar script.

"Sheldon, what's this?" she asked, pointing at the linear characters in her card.

"Oh, that's Elvish script – as opposed to the language of Mordor written in Elvish script," he replied, as if that explained everything.

"What does it mean?"

"That's a little research project for you when we get back," said Sheldon, hoping she didn't notice the sudden blush that coloured his cheeks. "Now, I believe I've got everything, and our first stop is scheduled for 0930, so we'd better get going, little lady!"

The journey passed quite pleasantly most of the way, making their designated stops on time and playing various games. They played the element game, and Counterfactuals, and engaged in an enjoyable Wil Wheaton bashing session, as his fragile truce with Sheldon had recently come to an end following a Twitter war between them caused by a difference in opinion regarding Wesley Crusher's character interpretation. How could he even think to choose Wheaton over Amy? It wasn't until they were nearly there that he started to worry. What if the 'arrangement' as regards the room was too much too soon? It would be his fault if it was, and her birthday that would be ruined. Such thoughts only made his cheerfulness fade progressively, and Amy wondered why. Was he regretting taking her to the concert? She knew it was asking a lot from him, and wouldn't be surprised if it was too much when it came to it.

It was no surprise to her, therefore, when he was particularly snappy and rude to the reception staff on arrival after one young clerk made the mistake of calling him 'Mr Cooper', and launched into a typical tirade against the stupidity of people in general, which she felt she had to stop before he went too far.

"Sheldon, he didn't mean it," Amy said quietly, having dragged him over to the lounge area.

"Well, people _are_ stupid!" he argued, searching round for somewhere to sit and not knowing where was best, which didn't help. "I've never been Mr Cooper in my life and don't appreciate being called it now!"

"OK, now they know. There's no problem with the reservation and the hotel looks great," she said soothingly. "I don't much care for being called Miss Fowler either, but sometimes people make mistakes…"

"No-one is calling you Miss Fowler." He sounded quite angry still. "You're far better than that."

Amy took a sharp intake of breath. Had he just said that? That was so sweet. The whole weekend was actually, and she briefly wondered what made him think of it. Was it really…what Penny and Bernadette thought it could be, what they'd made her buy her fabulous new outfit for?

"Really? Thank you…" was all she could manage, and inwardly berated herself for not being able to say anything like she wanted to.

"Of course you are." He didn't quite look at her, and kicked at the carpet a little. "So, you wanna get the keys?" he finished, calmer now.

Amy nodded, and soon they were outside their door, about to go in. Before they did though, Sheldon knew it was confession time – at least up to a point.

"Amy, I got this room from the University Bonus Scheme and it was on a voucher that I had to use up and I should have told you…" he managed lamely, hating how pathetic he sounded.

"Wait, what? Told me what?" Amy was confused. "Is there a problem with it?"

"There's only one of them for a start," he admitted, staring down at the carpet again. He really shouldn't have done this, shouldn't have sprung it on her like this…

Amy let out the breath she was holding. A mix of relief, disappointment and resignation came over her. Sharing her boyfriend's room was too much to hope for…she should have known.

"OK…it's OK, Sheldon," she replied, tugging at the cuff on her cardigan. "We'll go back down and see what they can do …we'll sort this out…"

"I don't think we can. The terms and conditions of the voucher clearly state that rooms are non-refundable…Maybe…" he added, surprising them both, "…we could just take a look?"

Amy smiled slightly. Maybe he wasn't so keen to give up their room after all. She agreed, and he swiped their card. Both of them were suddenly quite shy when they took in their new surroundings, and silently contemplated the fact their room was very much a double.

"So what do you think?" Sheldon asked first. He looked uncharacteristically nervous, and Amy almost fell for him all over again as it struck her why he'd been so obnoxious at Reception earlier – he'd thought she'd say no.

"Sheldon, it's fine, really. If you're happy with it, so am I," she said with the smile he loved so much. He smiled in return, relieved, and replied:

"OK, but I get this side!" She had to laugh as he claimed the best part of the bed as his, and immediately started turning up the bedding to check for bugs.

**Chapter 7**

They didn't actually stay in their room for very long, as both needed something to eat, and as the hotel restaurant was the only place (ComiCon aside) where Sheldon had eaten in San Diego and approved, they ate there, each wondering what would happen when they went back up. Amy couldn't help it, she was getting nervous again, almost to the point of deciding not to wear her new outfit after all. Then Sheldon caught her eye over their dessert, a fudge brownie, and she knew she would. His eyes seemed darker as he looked at her, thinking how beautiful she looked when relating a story about Betsy and how she had chittered excitedly at a picture of kittens in a basket. Amy's hair had fallen slightly over her shoulder and all he could think at that moment was how much he wanted to tuck it back behind her ear and feel how smooth and soft it was. He loved her hair – it was neat and perfect, like her. So why was he starting to imagine what it looked like messed up when she first woke up in the morning, and why was that even better than it looked now? Tomorrow morning, he'd find out…He'd never wanted her so much, and it scared him, but he couldn't help or stop it now. She wore the sheer tights she'd worn to the conference with Bernadette, and the same smart shoes, and her almost bare legs were making it hard for him to focus on anything else. He'd even eaten his meal with only one question to the waiter regarding the provenance of the bacon, which was unprecedented in an unfamiliar establishment. And now she was going to share his room…and sleep next to him that night. With what she was doing to him, he was beginning to think the Daleks had it right – resistance _was_ futile.

"You can't do this," said the part of his mind that still passed for logical thought. "How do you even know it's what she wants? You're thinking like some animal!"

It was true that Amy was trying not to think too much about the night after the concert. All she had was a half formed plan of going to the bathroom and wriggling out of her dress and announcing she needed some help (and getting out of a lace up corset, that was probably true), and then, she didn't know. Didn't know if it would completely freak him out to the point he'd go and stay somewhere else and never see her again, or if she would lose her nerve and end up sleeping in the lounge/driving all the way back to Pasadena. Why was the dream so much easier than the reality? In her dreams, she would know exactly what to do, and her stomach would be flat, her bust bigger and butt smaller. She would be a sexy goddess, and he'd fall at her feet. She would not be so nervous she could barely speak, like she was when the D&D game began, still the most erotic moment of her life so far. He'd done it for her then, maybe even deliberately, and she refused to believe it hadn't affected him just as much. If they played again here…would it go further? She wanted it too – so much – but she needed him to show her he wanted her. Would he do that? The look in his eyes right now was giving that impression, and she felt herself flush and her heart race as she imagined his hands smoothing the silky yet rigid corset over her body, and standing so close she could feel he wanted her.

"We've got some time before the concert, and the San Diego Zoo is well worth a visit…" Sheldon suggested then, pleased to have dragged his mind back to normal concerns. "Did you notice I put that into the PDF schedule under 'Miscellaneous'?"

"Oh, yes, I did…" Amy replied, suddenly brought back to reality. "I read up on their primate enclosure, and it looks fascinating!"

He smiled with pride. Of course she looked it up – he loved it when that girl did her research.

"Well then, let's go! I don't recommend we stay too long though, or you'll be too tired to appreciate this evening and I wouldn't want you miss out," he replied, surprising himself again at openly expressing such concern for someone else. Usually, if he was to visit somewhere of interest to him, they stayed until he had enough, regardless of any plans of their own they might have had.

Amy knew it, and smiled. "Oh, I don't want to miss anything tonight!" She looked away then, shyly, but didn't miss his blush and wondered what he thought she meant.

**Chapter 7**

The afternoon at the Zoo passed very pleasantly, and Sheldon even reached down for her hand while in the koala enclosure and she once again gave thanks to the small furry marsupials for the effect they had on him. He didn't let it go until it was almost time to leave, and bought her a stuffed monkey from the gift shop. When they returned, they didn't need to get ready quite yet, so Sheldon decided to teach her the rules of the Mystic Warlords of Ka'a, surprising her by delving into his suitcase and pulling out the cards. Amy had always found such games slightly ridiculous, but he looked so eager at the idea of teaching her that she couldn't resist.

"So, if I play the Ice Mage Warrior with the Bone Crusher Wand that beats your Goblin Warlord?" she asked a while.

Sheldon was surprised – all of a sudden, she was winning! He had to pull it back somehow, but part of him couldn't help being proud that she'd picked it up so quickly. He hadn't had to go over things again or tell her what to do anything like as much as he had Penny when she was drawn into 'Age of Conan', and her new prowess was, if anything, one of the most exciting things about the game, ever. So, she wanted to win, did she? He never could resist a challenge…

"Yes, but I've got this Ring of Enchantment that exiles all your Zombies!" he replied triumphantly. She'd have to have something pretty good to beat that…

"OK, and am I right in thinking that this potion give extra strength to all vampire and flying creatures, and you can't fight vampire and flying creatures right now?"

Darn. She was right. The competitive drive in him, coupled with the need to finish anything he started, was riled now, and he had to win! He drew another card. A Frost Giant – good, but not good enough, and she knew it.

"You still can't fight me, Sheldon," she said, a slow, rather seductive smile on her face. "Frost Giants don't fly…"

Things were getting desperate, and he only just pulled it back at the last moment. "Yes! My Demon Lord gets strength from each of my Goblins, and I get a new Goblin each time I play with the Stone of Valkas, and he can fly! Yes – game!"

He looked at her in excitement, and she couldn't help but smile and feel a rush of excitement herself at how competitive he got sometimes. It was all very Alpha Male, and she loved it. She hadn't made it easy though – he had to work for it, and that probably made it even better. In fact, the way his pulse rate had soared and the thrill of victory was having another effect on Sheldon right now, and being this close to his beautiful, brilliant girlfriend was making it had to resist, and he really had to stop now, before things went too far…

"We ought to get ready," Amy broke into his thoughts, staring down at her skirt, feeling the intensity of his gaze, and almost rushed to collect her things and retreat, Lucy style, to the bathroom. Once inside, she collapsed on the side of the bath, her heart racing. What just happened there? She took a few deep breaths, and gently pulled her dress from its bag, running her fingers down the front, and looked at her corset…this could take a while.

Sheldon looked at his watch in some concern. Amy had never struck him as one of those women who took forever to get ready, and he still had to change and shower if they were to arrive at the concert venue on schedule. This was like waiting for Missy as a teenager all over again. Well, not quite. If had been Missy, he'd have had no problem concentrating on the emulated retro game he was playing on his phone, but failed miserably as he heard the shower going. That really wasn't helping him calm down at all, and he was slightly relieved that these uncomfortable, insistent feelings were slowly pushed aside by concern when she didn't reappear a few minutes later.

Knock, knock, knock. "Amy…? Knock, knock, knock. "Amy…?" Knock, knock, knock. "Amy? Are you OK in there? I noticed there wasn't much of an adhesive surface in that bathtub…"

"Uh, yeah, I'm fine!" she replied, finally slipping her dress over her head and pulling it down over her fabulous new underwear.

"Good, 'cause you've been in there quite a while – I was starting to think you'd slipped."

"No," Amy smiled, emerging from the steamy bathroom just then. "Just getting changed."

His eyes were immediately drawn to the curves of her body and noticed the way the material hugged her tight. His pulse started to race again as she sat down opposite him and pulled on her new boots, zipping them up smartly. Did she know he'd liked her boots that time?

"Umm…" He didn't know what to say. This was almost unknown. "Good…you…can't be too careful about bathroom safety…I may put that in my online evaluation," he managed, feeling like he was babbling now. If he stayed there staring at her much longer, his other – problem – was sure to come back, and made for the bathroom as quickly as she had.

Amy smiled as he left. True, other men would have said how pretty their girlfriend looked in that situation, but he hadn't needed to. She'd seen the effect she'd had.

**Chapter 8**

When they arrived at the venue, with Sheldon newly showered and changed into the grey suit and blue shirt she loved on him, it was already busy, and suddenly she felt his hand grab hers. It was slightly sweaty, and she knew he was getting anxious.

"Are you OK, Sheldon?" she asked gently. Crowds were really not his thing, and she didn't want him to feel uncomfortable.

"I'm fine," he lied, clutching her hand a little tighter. He didn't want to risk losing her in the mass that surrounded them, although in a throng of largely middle aged women she probably would stand out. That and she'd stand out anyway, looking like that…which wasn't going to calm him down at all. "Really," he continued as she looked up at him. "I've been to ComiCon. I'll be fine."

It wasn't until they found their seats that Sheldon had a chance to escape, and offered to get them some drinks, thinking the bar area may be slightly less crowded.

"You'll stay here though, won't you?" he asked, looking really quite young and vulnerable in that moment and Amy's heart melted at the sight.

"Sure. I'll be right here," she answered, touching his arm lightly.

"OK, be right back!" he said, gratefully taking his chance to get out while he still could. Unfortunately, the bar was also busy, and Sheldon's nerves got the better of him as he ducked down a corridor off the foyer, and felt calmer as he left the noise and bustle behind. He wandered a bit further, and suddenly, rounding the corner was a man he recognised from the CD in Amy's car.

"Neil Diamond?" he asked, surprised.

"Uh, yeah, can I help you?" the older man asked, equally surprised to see anyone backstage.

"Actually, yes, you can!" Sheldon replied, struck by inspiration. "Do you do requests? It's my girlfriend's birthday and she'd really appreciate it. Her name's Amy Farrah Fowler and I'm Dr Sheldon Cooper."

"I'm sorry son," Neil Diamond said, looking at him with some sympathy. "I don't do requests. If I did, we'd be here all night."

"Are you sure you can't make an exception? She'd love it if you did." Just then however, Sheldon caught sight of a couple of burly security guards at the other end of the corridor, and realising he was getting dangerously close to restraining order territory once again, turned quickly to head back the way he came, but not without calling back to Neil Diamond over his rapidly disappearing shoulder.

"Her name's Amy! Amy Farrah Fowler!"

Evading the security guards, he came back out into a swath of people at the bar and picked up their drinks, feeling quite pleased with himself nonetheless. Maybe he _would_ make an exception…

Neil Diamond watched him rush off, and shook his head slowly. After all these years he thought he'd seen them all, and while he didn't do requests, he did like to involve the audience by choosing one lady in particular to serenade with the more romantic songs….Amy, was it?

"Are you OK, Sheldon?" Amy asked as he returned. "Was it busy at the bar?"

"Yes, it was," he replied, taking a hearty swig of his Diet Virgin Cuba Libre as if he needed it. "I'm fine though. I see it's meant to start soon?"

"Yes! It's so exciting!" She was nearly bouncing in her seat in anticipation. Five minutes later, Sheldon was looking at his watch, exasperated. He'd gone to the trouble of rushing back and this thing hadn't even started yet?

"Amy! It says in the programme the show starts at eight. It's five minutes past! This is just complete lack of organisation!"

"Oh, Sheldon, it's fine. These things often run a little late."

"A little! Five minutes is not a little!" He was getting anxious again, and inwardly cursed the standards of timekeeping kept by 'entertainers'. "It's nearly ten minutes now!"

In an attempt to deal with his disturbance at both Neil Diamond's lack of punctuality and the way his eye kept being drawn to the slight slit at the hem of Amy's dress, Sheldon took out his phone and began to text Leonard.

"Sheldon, what are you doing? The show's going to start soon!"

"I need to remind Leonard about the laundry!" he replied. "I left detailed instructions regarding garment care and the proper detergent to softener ratio but what if he's let Penny get her Nebraskan man hands on it? Do you know she just 'throws everything in together'?"

Amy smiled sympathetically. Her bestie had many stellar qualities, but she had to agree that proper laundry protocol may not be one of them. Sheldon fired off his text, but still felt agitated. Then, the lights began to fade, and he heard Amy take a quick breath with excitement. Somewhere music was playing faintly, although the stage was still empty. The room grew dark, except for a couple of flashes of light further back among the rows. Sheldon turned in their direction.

"Amy? Are they late? How can they be late?!" She shushed him, but squeezed his arm at the same time. He felt a little giddy at the brief contact, and was glad of the darkness around them.

Then, all lights were gone, and music could be heard building up, louder and stronger, and then Amy heard the first notes of one of her favourite songs, 'America,' and looked about her as spotlights flashed all around them. Suddenly, Neil Diamond appeared under a spotlight on stage and she sat forward in her seat, eyes wide behind her glasses. Not long after he started to sing, many others were joining in, and she joined in with them, loving every minute.

Sheldon didn't know the words, but couldn't help but feel ridiculously happy at seeing Amy so happy. It struck him that in a way, she was in her element here just as much as she was at work, and it was nice to be around her caught up in the moment. After a couple more songs, Neil came up to the audience and thanked them for being with him that night, and followed up with a couple of Christmas numbers, which Sheldon did know. He may not have been a fan of Christmas, believing it nothing more than a pseudo Pagan festival of commercialism, but 'White Christmas' and 'Joy to the World' were nice songs, and Amy's hand had somehow slipped into his.

The next ones were far more raucous, and Amy was beside herself with excitement as she jumped up to clap and sing along, which was somewhat unexpected, but from where he was sitting, Sheldon could still see the attractive outline of her body in that new dress, which was a perfect distraction from the aggravating woman behind them who was clearly tone deaf, and spent far more time gazing at Amy than the stage.

Before long, Neil announced a short break, and Amy collapsed into her seat, breathless, and turned to Sheldon, her eyes shining.

"Wasn't that amazing?" she asked, smiling her beautiful smile right at him. In spite of his ears ringing and feeling quite cramped still, Sheldon found himself smiling back in return and agreeing with her.

"Yes, I'm quite surprised. It is very loud though. Can I get you another?" he asked, indicating her empty glass. Amy gratefully accepted, and he disappeared off to the bar again, still wondering if Neil Diamond would make that exception. If Stephen Hawking could look at his paper, surely this lesser favour wasn't too much to ask?

**Chapter 9**

The second act was quieter, and Amy watched entranced as Neil Diamond stepped down into the crowd during one song, shaking hands (Sheldon flinched slightly at the sight but guessed he was safe this far back) and came closer. They were quite a way back, but at the end of the row, and Neil was definitely coming towards them. She couldn't believe it when, still a little way off, he made an announcement.

"There's a lady with us celebrating her birthday tonight. Her name is Amy Farrah Fowler, and this next one's for her. Where are you Amy?"

Amy couldn't speak. Luckily, she heard Sheldon call out just then "She's right here! Thank you!"

He came right up to her then, and said "Well Amy, your boyfriend here asked me to sing you a song, so here it is," and launched into one of her favourite romantic numbers. She tightened her grip on Sheldon's hand and couldn't take her eyes off Neil Diamond. In that moment, she was the only girl in the room, and she'd never felt so in love with Sheldon. How had he arranged this? How had he even thought to arrange this?

The song ended to thunderous applause, and Amy threw her arms around Sheldon, looking up into his eyes. Neil moved on to someone else, but left them in each other's arms. As she gazed up him, all Sheldon could think was how beautiful she was, and he couldn't resist it any longer. He kissed her, of his own volition, for the very first time, and nothing around them seemed to matter anymore. She was warm, her lips were soft and the curves of her body strangely, yet wonderfully, prominent beneath the smooth fabric and lace. He reached up and tucked back the strand of hair that teased him earlier, loving its soft silkiness, and pulled her closer.

She buried herself into his kiss, feeling the warmth beneath his jacket and shirt, and felt intoxicated with his scent of talc and cologne. This was both nothing and everything like she'd imagined. It didn't matter that they were surrounded by strangers, or that she'd waited so long. They broke apart as the next song came to an end, and the spotlight caught the blue in Sheldon's eyes.

For a moment, neither could speak, until Sheldon managed, "Happy Birthday Amy." She blushed as she whispered, "Thank you."

The rest of the show passed in a happy daze for both of them, neither really wanting to leave the other's side during the next interval, and staying close throughout the final part of the show. It came as quite a surprise when Neil took his last curtain call and the lights came up, and they found themselves, hand in hand, making their way back to the car and back to their room.

**Chapter 10**

They were quiet on the journey back. Part of Amy wanted to babble on about the concert, and what an amazing birthday she'd had, but she got the feeling that now wasn't the time to talk. It felt as though both were gathering their courage somehow, to face something they'd both alternately hoped for, feared, scorned, and increasingly wanted. Neither had expected to ever be in this situation, never believed it would happen to them. They hardly met one another's gaze all the way there, afraid maybe of what they'd see, or what they'd do.

It wasn't until they stepped back into their room at the hotel that Amy dared to look at Sheldon's eyes, and indeed she was slightly scared by the darkened glow she saw there. In the time she'd known him, she'd seen many different expressions in those eyes, but never this one. Never the look that said he wanted her – now – and meant to have her. He stayed there transfixed for a moment, unable to move or speak, just taking in everything about her, deeply aware they'd crossed a line and there was no going back.

He pulled her close again, and ran a hand down her back. She shivered, and let out the shaky breath she'd been holding.

"Sit down," he managed, gently leading her over to the bed. "And take those boots off…it was wet out earlier…"

"Yeah, they are a bit wet…" she replied, her hands shaking a little as she pulled down the zip, and stepped out of one boot, then the other. "So are your shoes."

"Yeah." He put them away neatly in the cupboard, and came back to sit with her. He stroked her back again, and curiosity got the better of him.

"What are you wearing? It feels…different."

"You really wanna know?" Amy breathed, shifting closer, and tentatively putting a hand on his thigh.

"Yes." Sheldon's mouth felt dry and he felt hot, too hot for a cool December night.

"Can I show you?"

He licked his dry lips and tried to swallow. "Yes. Now. Please."

"OK." Not really feeling sure of anything right now, Amy stood up, in front of him, and reached back to pull down the zip at the back of her dress. As the soft fabric fell in a heap at her feet, she heard Sheldon's sharp intake of breath and saw his eyes widen as they drank in every detail on her corset and matching knickers.

"Were you wearing that all night?" he asked, in a state of extreme arousal now that he wasn't even bothering to hide.

"Yes." Her voice was low and sultry, and slightly shy still.

"Oh Amy…come here." He reached out a hand to her and pulled her down alongside him. "It's beautiful…you're beautiful…but…"

"What?" she asked, suddenly afraid.

"You always wear too many clothes," he replied, suddenly sounding like the Texan boy he was. "I wanna see you, not some pretty bra…"

**Chapter 11**

Amy looked up at him and blushed. "Well, maybe you could help get it off…"

"Oh, it's coming off," Sheldon answered, a flash of his normal confidence coming back. "Even if they make it so darn complicated!"

She laughed then, and reached round to untie the bow holding it together at the small of her back.

"FYI, my bra undoes at the front!"

"Well that's sensible," Sheldon was fiddling with the ribbons himself now. "I'm not going through all this every time, Vixen."

"Every time?"

"Oh yeah – you're not getting away with just a one time thing," he stated, pulling at them quite hard now.

She shivered, at his words, with anticipation, and the cooler air hitting her breasts as Sheldon managed to pull her corset down to her waist. He stopped briefly, staring at them in wonder. They weren't the melons favoured by Wolowitz and Koothrapali, they were better than that. Pretty, dainty little breasts he wanted to touch so badly it almost hurt.

"Aren't you gonna take anything off?" Amy asked then, a shy smile on her face. "Not fair that you get to see me and I don't see you…"

Sheldon looked down at his shirt and jacket as if he'd just remembered them, and smiled in return.

"OK," he said, and, keeping his eyes on her the whole time, removed his jacket, and hung it up. He did the same with his shirt. As he reached down for his belt buckle, the dull ache that had been inside Amy since he kissed her flared up into something that almost burned, and her eyes glittered as she saw him turn to hang his trousers alongside them. . She looked down, and unconsciously bared her teeth slightly like the monkeys did sometimes. Oh, he was ready…no doubt about that.

Sheldon came back and sat alongside her, both nearly naked now, and wondered if he could do something he'd been thinking about – oh, too much – recently. He looked into her eyes, sparkling green and large with desire, and seeing nothing but love and trust there, took his chance and leaned her back on the pillows, her hair washing over them like he'd imagined it would.

"Are you OK with this?" he asked then, reaching up to brush her breast with his fingertips.

"Yes," she whispered. In a way, she couldn't think any more, and yet was concentrating on not forgetting anything at the same time.

"All right." She felt her whole breast being stroked then, more strongly than before, and let out a little moan, closing her eyes. Any minute now, her knickers would be wet. She couldn't hold it much longer and really hoped he wouldn't mind, even if it got a bit messy. Obviously it got messier for a man, but he must know that…this was different…and then they were being kissed. That did it. Amy let out a little owl like cry, and soaked the scanty knickers that matched her corset.

Sheldon stopped kissing her briefly and looked at her in some concern. "Amy? Are you OK?"

"Yes…please…don't stop…"

_Don't stop_. He'd said those very words to her the first time she'd sent him over the edge, prancing around in that tiny skirt and knee boots, causing her to invade his dreams for the first time as a result. It had taken everything he had not to show it, doing his best to deny the effect this petite brunette had, but she'd known, hadn't she? She knew the moment she started her little 'experiment', and now he had to do something about it. Hoping it wouldn't scare her off, Sheldon took her hand, and moved it slowly down.

"Do you wanna know what you do to me?" he asked. "What you've done for…a long time now…"

Amy felt cotton, and then something warm, smooth, hard. Her breathing became ragged and shallow as she registered what it was.

"I do that?" she asked in disbelief. All those times she thought she had no effect whatsoever – how wrong could she be?

"Oh yeah…a lot." He couldn't believe he was admitting this to anyone, let alone her. It had been hard enough to admit it to himself. Her touch felt so good though, that it really didn't matter. Wanting to please him, Amy inexpertly began to run her hand up and down, quite quickly. She'd read somewhere that men liked it faster than women, and was somewhat surprised when Sheldon closed one hand over hers, to stop her.

"No."

"I'm sorry," Amy replied, looking away. "Is that too much?"

"No, it's not that. This is about you tonight, not me. I didn't do this for what I could get."

"So it's OK? Did you like it?" She still wasn't sure.

In response, Sheldon smoothed his hand, holding hers, over himself. "Yes, but this is about you. What do I do to you?"

Slowly, somewhat reluctantly, she pulled her hand – and his – out, and drew them gently over her stomach to her knickers, and shyly dipped them in. He felt thick, presumably dark curls (she'd have to let him see to do this right!) and then warm, soft, wetness inside. The last part of normal thought he possessed screamed he shouldn't be doing this, shouldn't touch a lady here, but – this was Amy. His Amy, princess, vixen…it was OK. More than OK – amazing.

"That's what you do," she breathed, sounding as though she was somewhere far away. "You've done it…for a long time now too…"

Thinking back to his research, Sheldon knew there was something he had to find here, and from the same owl like cry he'd heard earlier knew he'd found it. Amy squirmed as she felt pressure promising to relieve the burning sensation deep inside her, and bucked her hips sharply in response.

"Please, Sheldon, that's it…now…" As ever, his research had been thorough, and it wasn't long until she was high on a massive rush of pleasure that she'd never felt before, never managed to do this well before, panting hard as she suddenly let go the tension that she'd been holding within her in a flood of warm wetness.

It came as a surprise to Sheldon then when she went still, her eyes closed, breathing still shallow. Was that it? Had he done it? Did he do it right? More to the point, did he do it _well_? He hadn't known women did it quite like that, but all the articles were agreed her response was good, so he wasn't worried about that, surprisingly, considering how he'd always hated his own body's response in such a situation. At least, until she'd started to be the one that caused it.

"Yeah…" she murmured, still sounding a long way off. "You really do…excel in everything you do…"

Sheldon caught her eye then as they opened, fixed her with his characteristic look of confidence bordering on arrogance, and said, "You better believe it!"

Later, when they were nearly asleep, Sheldon turned to Amy in the darkness and whispered the words she'd longed to hear. "I love you, Amy Farrah Fowler."

She let out a deep sigh of contentment. "And I love you, Sheldon Lee Cooper."

"Did you know that's what I wrote in your card?"

"No," Amy smiled, tracing her hand down his back, "but I should have guessed." They kissed goodnight, and Amy's last thought before sleep took her was that this truly was the best birthday she had ever had.


End file.
